Five civilians were killed in a rocket attack by suspected tribal militants in Tank city on Tuesday. “Up to five innocent civilians were killed,” Tank District Nazim Riaz Kundi told Daily Times. Twelve people including two policemen were wounded.The five people were killed when tribal militants fired a rocket at a grain market, said eyewitnesses and police officials. “Police have located a group of about 15 armed militants and we are trying to nab them,” district police chief Zulfiqar Cheema told AFP.
The city has been placed under curfew since Monday when militants linked to the Taliban in South Waziristan again attacked security forces in the city despite a truce. “As long as law enforcement agencies do not take action against madrassas of Maulana sahib, the law and order situation will not improve,” the nazim said in an apparent reference to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the opposition leader in the National Assembly. “Militants are sheltering in the madrassas,” he said.
He said he had told security agencies to move against the suspected madrassas, “but the police are turning a blind eye to the madrassas and why they are doing this one can understand easily”.
A local journalist said the militants were using hand-grenades and rockets in their attacks on security personnel, who “resort to indiscriminate firing after the militants run after their attack”. Official sources said that senior police officials were planning talks with Taliban leaders in South Waziristan through the political agent’s office to bring peace to Tank city. “The roots of this problem lie in Waziristan and we need to talk to the Taliban leadership,” police sources said.